Spark-arresting device



- F. L. CONNABLE.

SPARK ARRESTING DEV ICE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 3, I915. RENEWED JAN. 2,I920. L,339,498. 1 Patented -May 11, 1920.

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SPARK ARRESTING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 3, I915- RENEVIED MI- 2.I920- 1,339,49s; vPatented y11, 1920.

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. UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

FRANK mment. or wmmmoa, DELAWARE, essieroa r0 I. m1 P m: DE

NEMOURS AND COMPANY, or DELAWARE-I WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, a CORPORATIONor .sreax-Aaansrme DEVICE.

Application filed; December 3, 1915, Serial No. 64,821.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK L. CONNABLE, of Wilmington, in the county ofNew Castle, and in the State of Delaware, have invented a certain newand useful Improvement in Spark-Arresting Devices, and do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates particularly to spark arresters adapted to beapplied to locomotives and particularly the stacks thereof, but it iscapable of application for similar purposes to other arts.

The object of my invention is to provide a spark arrester, which may beautomatically applied to and removed from the stack of a locomotivewithout manual adjustment of the same, at the top of the stack, thusavoiding danger of burning, permitting the apparatus to be operated byone man and avoiding loss, of time and labor. A further object of myinvention is to provide a spark arrester which, nevertheless, fitstightly upon the top of the'stack so as to prevent the escape of sparks.A further object of my invention is to provide such an apparatus inwhich the sparks are prevented from escaping, but in which,nevertheless, there is no retardation in the escape of the gases fromthe stack. Further objects of my invention will appear from a detaileddescription appearinghereinafter.

lVhile my invention is capable of embodiment in many different forms,for the purpose of illustration I have shown only one form thereof, inthe accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of a spark arrester made inaccordance with my invention and shown in engagement with a stack.

Figs. 2 and 3 are sections respectively taken on lines 2-2 and 3-3 ofFig. 1.

In the drawings I have shown a stack 1 of a locomotive which is adaptedto support at its top, a spark arrester 2. This spark arrester 2 ispreferably comprised of a lower cylindrical portion 3 made of wire meshattached to an upper conical portion 4 of wire mesh by means of circularbands 5 and 6 riveted together through the overlapping ends of saidportions 3 and 1. At the lower end of the lower portion of wire mesh 3there is an annular angle iron 7 which supports, at intervals arounditsperiphery, journal Specification of Letterslatent.

Patented May 11, 19.20.

Renewed January 2, 1920. Serial No. 349,089.

brackets 8 in which there are pivotally mounted angular levers 9 havingdownwardly directed arms 10 and upwardly directed arms 11, the latterbeing in the form of hooks adapted to extend over the upper edge of thestack 1. The upper arms 11 are arranged to support a plurality ofsegmental overlapping plates 12 to prevent the falling of sparks betweenthe cylindrical portion of wire mesh 3 and the upper edge of thestack 1. The top of the conical portion of wire mesh 4 is connected to acasting 13- having a flange 14 at its lower end, which extends withinthe same and is secured thereto by means of a ring 15 riveted to saidflange 14 so that the rivets pass through the wire mesh. At its top thecasting 13 has a flange 16 in the shape of a mushroom, the edge of whichis designed to engage with depending arms 17 having hooks 18 at theirlower ends and pivoted in brackets 19 on a casting 20 at their upperends. The casting 20 has'a ring 21 to engage with any suitable liftingdevice, such for example, as a cable 22. Each of the arms 17 is,furthermore, provided with a tumbler 23 which is pivoted thereto, andwhich moveswithin the recess 24: in the interior of the arm.

. In the operation of my invention, when it is desired to apply thespark arrester to the top of the stack 1, it is lowered by means of' thecable 22 on to the same. Before the spark arrester becomes supported bythe top of the stack 1, the levers 9 are in a substantially horizontalposition, so that the downwardly directed arms 10 readily clear theupper edge of the stack 1. When the spark arrester is lowered farenough, however, to be supported by the upper edge of the stack 1, thedownwardly directed arms 10 are forced against the side of the stack 1so that the stack is tightly clamped by the same. In this way, the sparkarrester becomes positioned on the top of the stack and is maintained inthis position as long as desired. In order to release the lifting andlowering devices from the spark arrester the casting 20 is lowered untilthe tumblers 23 are below the flange 16. When the casting 20 is nowelevated, the inclined surfaces of the tumblers 23 prevent theengagement of the flange 16 with the hooks 18 and the lifting andlowering devices may now be entirely removed from connection with thespark arrester. When it is desired to again attach the lifting andlowering devices to the spark arrester, as for example when the sparkarrester is to be removed from the stack, the casting 20 is lowered justfar enough to engage the flange 16 with the hooks 18. It is thenelevated,"and the elevation thereof withdraws the spark arrester fromthe top of the stack 1 automatically releasing the downwardly directedarms 10 from engagement with the sides of the stack owing to theover-balancing efi'ect of the upwardly directed arms 11 on the levers 9.

While I have described my invention above in detail,.I wish it to beunderstood that many changes may be made therein without departing fromthe spirit of my invention.

I claim 1. A spark arrester comprising a body portion adapted to inclosethe upper end of a stack, and automatic devices carried by said portionadapted to engage the stack when the body portion is placed over thestack to hold the spark arrester in operative position.

2. A spark arrester comprising a body portion adapted to inclose theupper end of a stack, and automatic clamping devices carried by saidportion adapted to engage the stack when the body portion is placed overthe stack, said devices comprising a lever automatically forced againstthe stack when the body portion is placed over the stack, to hold thespark arrester in operative position. -j r 3. A spark arrestercomprising a body portion adapted to inclose the upper end of a stack,and a plurality of inwardly directed hooks pivoted to said body portionand adapted to engage the stack when the body portion is placed inoperative position.

4. A spark arrester having a cover with ward movement openings, and'means for supporting the same over the to of the stack comprisingautomatic clamplng devices, including a stack supported lever, having adownwardly bearing. upper arm and a side bearing lower arm, fittingagainst the stack.

5. A spark arrester having a cover with openings, and means forsupporting the same over the top of the stack comprising automaticclamping devices, including a stack supported lever, having a downwardlybearing upper armand a side bearing lower arm fitting against the stack,and an-engag-, ing device at the top of the spark arrester.

6. A spark arrester comprising a body portion adapted to inclose theupper end of a stack, and a plurality of inwardly directed hooks pivotedto said body portion and adapted to engage the stack when the bodyportion is placed in operative position, and plates carried by saidhooks'to extend between the stack and said body portion.

7 In combination, a spark arrester adapted to surround the end of astack, and means automatically brought into operative position bydownward movement of the spark arrester on to the stack, for obstructingthe escape of sparks through the annular space between the stack and thespark arrester. I

8. In combination, a spark V arrester adapted to engage the end of-astack, and automatic means for separating this stack engaging portionfrom the stack by the upof the arrester away from the stack. i

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

FRANK L. CONNABLE.

Witnesses:

WM. MASON ALLEN, T. W. KEITHLEY. j

